S. Philly Seafood Kings Make Turkey Time Happen

by Eldon Graham

THE HUMAN RESOURCES team of Linh Nguyen, Johanna Goodman and Annastacia Mangos organizing the can drive of Samuel & Sons, which they deliver in person to the needy of Phila. during the Thanksgiving holiday. Generosity is what drove these South Philadelphia employees of S&S to all contribute to the drive.

Thanksgiving is the time of year where generosity among many knows no bounds. We see that type of holiday spirit all around the city and South Philadelphia it is no different.

Samuels & Son Seafood Co., Inc. is an organization that normally caters to your every seafood and shellfish need. But this time of year, they are going outside their preferential food choice to give to those in need.

The Samuels & Son Seafood employees organized a Thanksgiving holiday can drive of their own volition to help those in need around Philadelphia. William Bradford, the firm’s marketing coordinator, describes how this charitable act is a true labor of giving. “We asked everybody here to chip in with canned goods and non-perishables,” he said. “I reminded everyone through emails and our weekly sales meeting. It worked, as we had a bigger turnout than ever.”

Bradford says this is not a one-time gesture. Since Samuels & Son is a family-owned business, all its workers know the holidays are a time of generosity. “We always donate food at this time of year to local organizations,” he stated.

The company donates two batches of food and perishable items to St. Francis Inn in Germantown and to John B Stetson Middle School’s food drive. Bradford himself delivered them in person.

There are personal motives behind the selection choices, says Bradford: “We chose St. Francis Inn because one of our human-resources employees has a daughter that used to volunteer there and we know it’s a great cause, there are often children in need there.” He continued, “We chose John B. Stetson Middle School because I have a friend who teaches there and she puts on a food drive that benefits children in need. That meant a lot to us.”

Bradford says they had their biggest donated food turnout this year; “It was really special.” Samuels & Son’s Philadelphia office houses a number of South Philadelphia residents, all of whom contributed to the drive.

South Philadelphia has always been famous for its culinary cuisines and fantastic supply of food for its residents. Samuels & Son has been a part of that culture since 1945, when Giuseppe Ippolito, the son-in-law of Gaetano Darigo, partnered with his father-in-law to open his first restaurant at 13th & Dickinson Street under the name “Ippolito’s” – still a mecca for seafood-lovers, with whom it does a brisk take-out business.

Since that time the family has stayed in the restaurant business, opening more restaurants and wholesale markets throughout the Philly area as well as the United States.

“Seafood was more than a part time job, it was a passion. Unlike most kids, I didn’t play with toys, I played with the fish,” writes Samuels & Son’s owner Sam D’Angelo.

In 1989, the family split off a separate company for its commercial and wholesale trade. That became Samuels & Son.

The company’s newest, 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility opened in 2009 at 3400 S. Lawrence Street near the port. It has continued feeding Philadelphia, as well as the country, some of its finest finned and shelled creatures of the deep.

That’s in addition to divvying out beans, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce and pumpkin-pie filling this week.

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